How to make it work when retail meets design
Interior designers and retailers who realize the opportunities where those two crossover are those who stand out in their markets.
NAPLES, Fla. — While brick-and-mortar retail and interior design are two distinct channels in the home furnishings universe, they sometimes cross over.
And designers and retailers who realize the opportunities in those crossovers are those who stand out in their markets.
A panel at sister publication Furniture Today’s Leadership Conference in early December moderated by Executive Editor Cindy Hodnett demonstrated those successes. Designers Jessica Duce and Stacy Garcia were joined by Nora Gomez of NFM and Michael Galloway of Star Furniture, both part of Top 100 Berkshire Hathaway’s furniture division, to talk about areas where they’ve worked together and how they’ve succeeded in the process.
So, how can retailers make sure they’re maximizing their designer potential? The designers said you get back what you put in.
“Embrace the relationship. We want to brag about the relationship. When we tell the story to the client, that’s the relationship we’re going for,” Duce said.
Added Garcia, “Start with local organizations like the International Design Society or American Society of International Designers. Have an event, get involved, and they’ll be your new best friend.”
While the design program Star Furniture has in place today is championed by Duce, it wasn’t always the case. Shortly after moving to Houston, she was connected to company leaders and delivered a frank assessment of the program, which led to its complete overhaul.
“We realized our program was not good at all. We invited about 10 to 12 local designers that were somewhat renowned and solid in their field and had a session where we asked about pain points,” Galloway said. “How can we solve them and work together? Were it not for COVID and the supply chain interruptions, we wouldn’t have the warehouse space to do what we’re doing now, which is accommodating.”
Added Duce, “It has to be a win on both sides. Nobody is saying we want a big discount and that’s the only way we’ll shop here. We worked through what a trade discount could be. Star created a new logistics program that can help designers in Texas and beyond and created something nobody else has in the area.”
The relationship between Garcia and NFM was built on the foundation of the designer’s rug collection. That conversation grew and blossomed into a colorful pop-up.
“They were so unique and different, and the more I got to know Stacy, I learned more about her and what she represents. Color. At the end of the day, color is what makes the furniture pop,” Gomez said. “In each of our stores, we had a different version of the Stacy Garcia pop-up. It’s one of those things where you couldn’t walk by it without stopping because it was so visually appealing and engaging.”
The pop-up, Garcia explained, was all about showing customers a world of possibilities.
“In the world of retail, we sometimes get caught up in ‘I am selling a sofa.’ If we remember and remind our teams that that’s the problem we’re trying to solve for the client, that’s a little piece of it. What we’re really selling is transformation,” Garcia said. “They come in to shop for the brown sofa and then we sprinkled ideas in to create transformation.
“ If I put up a wall covering behind it or paint the wall behind it or put in a rug, now I’m transforming my home,” she added. “Most people, especially those who can’t afford the designer, want to experience transformation but don’t know how to go about it. We have the ability to give our clients the gift of being able to transform the places they live.”
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